Carriage-apron



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. PLUMB, OF ELMIRA, NE\V YORK, ASSIGN OR OF FIVE-NINTHS TO MORRIS W. SHELDON, OF SAME PLACE, AND FREDERICK M. SHELDON,

OF HORNELLSVILLE, NEW YORK.

CARRlAGE-APRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,292, dated June 7, 1887. 7 Application filed Millk'll 19, 1887. Serial No. 231.435. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PLUMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Oheinung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Aprons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which 10 it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in weather or storm aprons for carriages or other vehicles, such as are used to protect the occupants from rain, snow, sleet, mud, &c.; and it 1 consists in the means by which the same are adapted to be attached to the dashboards, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to construct an an apron of the class named in a manner which will render the same neat in appearance,strong, and inexpensive, and which will permit of its ready attachmentto and detachment from the dash-board of a vehicle, and also to provide the said apron with spring-clamps having their outer branches or legs permanently attached to the outer or upper side of the apron in front of the dash-board. I attain this object by the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same letters of reference indicate the same parts, and in which Figure 1 is a broken front View ofthe dashboard and apron, showing the outer branches or legs of the spring-clamps or metal hooks in position forholding the apron against the outer face of the dash-board; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same parts on the dotted line a: a: in Fig. 1. y

In the drawings, a represents a portion of the apron, which is of the usual form or construction and material, and is provided with openings 1) b in its forward end, one being preferably located near each side thereof, as

shown.

at their upper ends and gradually contracted toward their lower ends, where they are curved or flared outwardly, so as to permit of their easy placement over the enlarged upper rim of the dash-board, when in place in the openings b b, and secured to the front part of the apron.

(1 represents the dash-board, which is provided with the usual enlarged upper edge or rim, (1.

e e are flaps formed or secured on the apron over the openings 1) 1), their purpose being to prevent rain, snow, and thelike from entering the openings in the apron through which the springclamps or hooks pass; and with this object in view they are extended over and beyond said openings and cover the tops of said hooks or clamps. It is also preferable to cover the whole of the hooks or clamps with some water-proof material, and thus the portions of the legs which extend below the flaps will be saved from rust.

I also employ the form of flaps shown in dotted lines on the right-side of Fig. 1, which are extended down the entire length of the outer branches or legs of the clamps or hooks and stitched or otherwise fastened to the apron. This form of flaps not only covers the openings b b, but shields from viewthe outer legs of the springs and protects them from exposme and consequent rust. In placing the metal hooks or spring-clamps c c in position for securing them to the apron their outer legs are passed through the openings 0 e in the apron a, and drawn through the same until the enlarged upper parts of the clamps rest centrally in said openings. The outer legs are then at tached to the outer or upper side of the apron by rivets or other suitable fastening means. The clamps being secured in this position, their outer legs and the attached front portion of the apron are then passed down over the rim and the front or outside of the dash-board, the rear legs of said clamps resting upon the inside or rear face of the dash-board. It will thus be evident that, owing to the resiliency of the legs of the clamps, the front lower portion of .the apron will be firmly secured in place upon the outside of the dash-board, and

that it can be readily removed therefrom by drawing upwardly upon its sides and the upper portions of the spring-clamps, or by simply drawing upwardly upon any portion of the apron in rear of the dash-board.

I am aware that a carriage-apron has been patented which is provided with U-shaped spring-clamps for attaching the same to the dash-board; but in this instance the apron is folded within the clasps and leaves a gutter near the top of the dashboard for water, &c., which of course is objectionable; and I am also aware that an apron provided with springclamps arranged with both of their branches or legs on the under side thereof is not new, and therefore I do not claim either of these constructions of aprons.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is p 1. A carriageapron formed with'openings and provided with spring-clamps extending through said openings and having their outer branches or legs secured upon the upper or outer side of said apron, substantially as described.

2. A carriage-apron formed with openings and provided with flaps extending over said openings and with springclamps passing through said openings and having their outer branches or legs secured upon the upper or 0 outer side of said apron, substantially as described.

8. A carriage'apron formed with openlngs and provided with springclamps passing GEORGE E. PLUMB.

W i l nesses:

GEORGE K. LEAon', J AMES CovELL. 

